This section has details of practice networks and national co-ordinators across Scotland.

Glasgow Homelessness Network

Glasgow Homelessness Network (formerly Glasgow Council for Single Homeless) works from a Glasgow perspective to:

• raise awareness about homelessness
• improve planning, provisions and practice for homeless people
• prevent, alleviate the impact of, and eradicate homelessness.

Homelessness Strategy Officers network

Set up and administered by Scottish Council for Single Homeless (SCSH), this network exists to assist key staff in Scottish local authorities who have responsibility for taking forward homelessness strategies and action plans.

The network meets quarterly at the SCSH offices in Edinburgh and meetings include guest speakers as well as an opportunity for more informal information exchange. The network also runs an email communication group. Daniel Coote is the Policy Officer, SCSH.

Furniture Project Co-ordinator

Communities Scotland has funded the development of a national furniture co-ordinator, in order to operate a furnished tenancies scheme, recommended by the Homelessness Taskforce.

The current Furniture Projects Co-ordinator is Linsay Chalmers who is based at the Community Recycling Network for Scotland. She can be contacted on 07980 895 182 or at linsay@crns.org.uk.

Further information about furniture recycling projects can be found at www.morethanfurniture.org.uk.

Scottish Churches Housing Action

This agency links together the main Christian Churches in Scotland seeking to tackle the issue of homelessness. It currently carries out the following roles.

• Develops projects that help homeless people, encouraging local control.
• Mobilises volunteers to help homeless people in Scotland.
• Links practical work to help homeless people with work to prevent homelessness in the first place.
• Promotes innovative approaches to homelessness one area learning from another, and national policy-makers learning from local experience.
• Connects the values of the Churches with action to help homeless people.

Scottish Health and Homelessness Network

The Scottish Health and Homeless Network seeks to identify, promote support and influence best practice in relation to the health needs of homeless people in Scotland.

Objectives

• Offer support to network members.
• Provide a resource on the development and effects of the implementation of the health and homelessness action plans for Scotland.
• Influence and communicate evidence-based good practice in the field of health and homelessness (including relevant research).
• Provide a resource for information and advice on health and homelessness to members and others including the Scottish Government Health and Homelessness Steering Group.
• Influence health and homelessness policy and practice at a national level.

Sue Irving is the Health and Homelessness Co-ordinator, Scottish Government Health Department. There is also a Health and Homelessness website.

Scottish Homelessness and Employability Network

Established in 2004, the Scottish Homelessness and Employability Network (SHEN) has been established to:

• improve opportunities for people facing homelessness by promoting the role of education, training and employment in strategies to tackle homelessness
• identify and share models of good practice and support engagement with education, training and employment opportunities
• influence related policy, funding and legislative developments.

Scottish Housing Best Value Network

Set up in 1995, the Scottish Housing Best Value Network (SHBVN) is a group of 27 Scottish local authorities that work together to secure best value in housing services.

The main group meets monthly and its nine sub-groups also meet regularly. The Network has a specific sub-group dealing with homelessness issues, where member authorities share good practice and benchmarking ideas around the alleviation and prevention of homelessness.

SHBVN also operates an email discussion group for its members.

Scottish Mediation Network

Promotes mediation of all forms in Scotland. Their website provides resources and contact points for practitioners and those looking for mediation services.

Scottish Social Networks Forum

The Network exists to build and co-ordinate befriending, mentoring and mediation services for homeless people and to raise awareness of the important role these services can play in enabling homeless people to rebuild positive social networks.

Lesley Stenhouse is currently the Scottish Social Networks Forum Co-ordinator.

Background

This post is one of the many things coming out of the Homelessness Task Force final report, which highlighted that: 'Many people who have experienced homelessness will have lost, or be deprived of, their social networks of families, friendships or work'.

The absence of this support framework is a major factor in resettlement breakdown.

Lesley's role is to:

• help build and co-ordinate befriending, mentoring and mediation services for homeless people and
• raise awareness of the important role these services can play in enabling homeless people to rebuild positive social networks.

How you can help

One of Lesley's first steps is to start mapping existing services and to that end she would appreciate your help. She would like to hear about any existing or planned befriending, mentoring or mediation services you have which support homeless people (or those at risk of becoming homeless).

Although it is thought that very few services are specifically targeted at homeless people, a number of projects do or could support homeless people (or those at risk of becoming homeless). Please email Lesley with contact details and any information you have to hand. In turn, if Lesley can be of assistance to you, please contact her.

Contact details: Lesley Stenhouse
Rock Trust
55 Albany Street
Edinburgh
EH1 3QY
Telephone : 0131 557 4059
Mobile : 07977 987308
Email : lesley.stenhouse@rocktrust.org
www.scottishsocialnetworks.org

Scottish Youth Housing Network (SYHN)

The Scottish Youth Housing Network exists to meet the needs of young people in a housing context. In particular, it aims to assist housing and youth workers improve housing for young people by:

• creating and fostering links between individuals and agencies who work in young people's housing and youth homelessness
• providing organisations across Scotland with information about developments in legislation and national policy
• encouraging the development of good practice and innovative projects.